If you've read my Star Trek Online preview here, then you'll know I made a perhaps contentious comment that console gaming is better than PC gaming. It seemed logical therefore to back that up with a pros and cons list to determine once and for all which is the best all round gaming format, and to justify my comments.

Let's start with my reasoning for thinking consoles are better, before moving on to an actual pros and cons list. 

For me, ultimately, it's all about convenience. With a console you can literally plug it in and play. Most importantly for me, you can play at your leisure. With most of us, our PC is also for some form of work, study or general browsing of the web. And, as such, our PCs are at a desk with a relatively comfy office chair.  Now, I don't know about you, but I sit at a desk all day at work so the thought of sitting at one all night to play my games when I get home isn't actually that appealing!. However, with my consoles I can sit on the sofa, chill out after another generic day at the office and play great games to my heart's content.

Already you can see where I am coming from with this article, but I'm keen to be as objective as possible on this, to find out whether consoles or PCs are better for gaming. I also asked friends and colleagues for input, for a non-scientific straw poll as such.

The list that's coming up will not take into account additional peripherals, I should point out. For example, you could use a 360 controller on your PC or you could use a USB keyboard and mouse on your PS3, but in the interest of fairness, I'm not be taking that into account.

In a Crystal Maze inspired scoring style, each pro item gains the format a point (golden ticket!) whilst each con will deduct a point (silver ticket!). Whoever has scored the most by the end of this article will be declared the best all round gaming format. But don't worry, the loser will still get an ‘I cracked the Crystal Maze' Crystal. Ahem.

Anyway, here's my list. And it turns out to be a fairly logical one.

PC Gaming 

Pros List 

Most games are cheaper on PC

You get better graphics on up to date machines

Comprehensive controls (keyboard, mouse)

Most RPG and RTS games are made for PC controls

Longevity of games increased with mods, often user-made on some games (usually free)

Dedicated servers

Some free DLC as with console games

Hardware / software issues can potentially be fixed yourself if needs be

Cons List 

Constant need to upgrade hardware

Constant patching of games

Less comfort whilst playing (office chair/desk)

Constant need to keep drivers up to date to ensure games run as best as possible

Loads of settings for video/sound in-game which need ‘tinkering' in order to get the game running as best it can on your PC

No split screen for local multiplayer

Initial set-up cost for high-end PC can be expensive

Continuing to keep PC ‘high-end' will be a constant, often expensive battle as bigger and better graphics cards come out, for example

Console Gaming 

Pros List 

Convenience (sofa gaming)

Little to no video/sound adjustments needed

Local multiplayer (split screen) for social/party gaming

Plug and play, easy console initial set up

Some DLC for games is free as with PC games

Patching of games is limited and rarely causes much delay for games you play often

Required updating of console itself is limited

Most people have a bigger TV than PC monitor, so big screen gaming is more feasible

Cons List

Graphically inferior to high-spec PCs

More restrict controls, with keyboard and mouse better for some games

DLC can be unnecessarily expensive for what you actually get. (Fable 2!)

No dedicated servers

MMORPGs would not work on Xbox 360 (live subscription and MMO monthly fee! Not likely.) MMORPGs might work for PS3s, but they're more natural on PC

Games are more expensive

RROD/hardware faults generally mean entire console needs to be sent back to get fixed

Games you play less often may have major patch updates needed before game will load

So the results are in and it's a tie, as they have an equal amount of pros to cons. At least that's what I found when I tried to look at it completely objectively.

Yet, I would still stand by my (console) guns and state that it is definitely easier to game on consoles than on a PC. That's just my opinion, of course, and as the lists above demonstrate, it's far from clear-cut.

Myself? I've learned that no matter what your preference is, you can't deny the alternative's ability to provide an enjoyable gaming experience. Similarly, despite each format putting up a good argument, there are clearly a lot of flaws to both which could easily put you off giving the alternative a try. I'd also suggest that those who glibly dismiss either PC or console gaming as simply better than the other may well be guilty of siding with the one they've got, rather than offering an objective overview.

Bottom line, as you might expect? It's down to your own preference: both PCs and consoles have their own pros and cons. Personally? I still choose consoles...

Thanks to Den of Geek users Broseph and Leegolas for their input on the list. As always leave your comments and creative responses in the comments section below!